“Nah, Zoe won’t mind if you leave them on,” he said with a wave of his hand.
Piper looked at the wide-planked hickory floors that had a natural sheen. “I hate to track.” There were salt smudges on the foyer floor, presumably from the boys.
“Okay, we’ll both take our shoes off,” Noah suggested.
Piper was grateful that she’d worn socks without holes today. They were pink with yellow stars. Not a great match for her red sweater, but Noah didn’t seem to be paying any attention to her socks. She looked around. “Where did the boys get off to?”
“Probably in the kitchen, helping themselves to cookies. Come on.” He motioned with his head. A jolt ran through her when he touched her back, leading her down a hall and into the kitchen.
As they stepped into the room, a thin, well-dressed brunette looked up from her work at icing a cookie. A large smile filled her face. “Hello.”
“Hello,” Piper repeated with a hesitant smile.
Noah did the introductions. “This is Zoe, my sister. Zoe, this is Piper.”
Zoe put down the icing bag, wiped her hands on a nearby dishtowel, and came up to them. “Nice to meet you, Piper.” Zoe stretched out her hand as the two shook. Zoe’s dark eyes glittered with teasing as she looked at Noah. “The boys told me you met a new friend today.” Her voice hung in innuendo at the word friend, causing heat to rush into Piper’s cheeks.
Zoe’s Southern accent was stronger than Noah’s. It was cultured, graceful—a voice Piper could listen to all day. She could definitely see the resemblance between the two siblings. Maybe it was the shape of their eyes, although Zoe’s were dark whereas Noah’s were the fascinating hazel gold. Zoe was beautiful with her high cheekbones and long, glossy, straight hair.
“Piper stepped into the middle of our snowball fight,” Milo interjected. He and his friends were gathered around the island, chowing down on sugar cookies.
“Oh, no,” Zoe said, laughter simmering in her eyes. “That’s terrible.”
“It was terrible,” Piper said, throwing Noah a disgruntled look. “I got beaned in the face.” She bit back the smile twitching at her lips.
Easy laughter floated from Noah’s throat as he moved close to Piper, draping an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t let Piper’s angelic face fool you. She can hold her own.”
Piper caught the flash of surprise across Zoe’s features. She was probably wondering why Noah was acting so familiar with a girl he’d just met. It made Piper feel a little uncomfortable. Things were happening fast. Still, she couldn’t deny that every inch of her body was zinging with attraction at Noah’s nearness. Another thought entered Piper’s mind, causing her insides to stiffen. Had Noah brought other girls here? She’d not even stopped to think about his past relationships. A man like Noah would have girls flocking to him. It was miraculous that he was unattached and that the two of them had met like they had. Maybe fate was giving Piper an early Christmas present.
Zoe sighed in relief. “I’m glad you’re here. I can use some help. I’ve got cookies coming out my ears,” she mumbled as she looked at the clock on the microwave. “And we’re running out of time.”
“You’ll be happy to know that Piper is great at decorating cookies,” Noah said.
Zoe brightened. “Fabulous.”
“Uh, great might be stretching it, but I’ll be glad to help,” Piper said.
“I’m sure anything you do will be an improvement over what this guy does,” Zoe chuckled, cutting her eyes at Noah. “Three quarters of everything he decorates ends up in his mouth. Men,” she muttered with a long sigh as she gave Piper a conspiratorial look.
Piper decided right then and there that she liked Zoe. A feeling of déjà vu swept over her, and she got the feeling the two of them would become good friends. It was both a perplexing and neat feeling.
“Hey,” Noah protested, but Piper could tell that he didn’t mind the razzing. Piper sensed that Noah and Zoe were close.
Zoe went back to the island. “Alright boys, that’s enough. We want to make sure we have some cookies to take caroling.” She made a shooing motion with her hands. “Go on, get out of the kitchen.”
“Can we go to Chris’s house and play video games?” Milo asked with large, puppy-dog eyes.
Zoe pursed her lips as she dipped her head. Her voice took on a scolding tone. “You know I don’t like you playing too many video games.”
Milo brought his hands together in a pleading pose. “Please.”
“Okay,” Zoe relented, “but nothing violent,” she added firmly, wagging a finger.
“We won’t,” the boys chirped, giving her cherubic smiles.
“Milo, be sure and come home by six. We’re leaving to go caroling at six thirty.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Milo answered. A devilish grin stole over his lips as he snatched another cookie then darted out of Zoe’s reach, as she attempted to swat him in the head.
Piper could see the longing on the other boys’ faces and could tell they wanted more cookies. However, they were too chicken to grab one.
Zoe laughed. “Go on, get outta here.”
“Thanks, for the cookies, Mrs. Stevens,” one of the boys said.
Milo looked at Noah. “Thanks for taking us tubing.” He pumped his eyebrows. “You’re my favorite uncle.”
“I see how it is,” Noah drawled. “Love the one you’re with.”
“Yep,” Milo grinned as he and his friends rushed out with nimble steps.
Zoe motioned at a bar stool. “Have a seat. Do y’all need aprons?”
“Sure,” Piper said.
Zoe pulled out a drawer and grabbed two aprons, handing one to each of them.
“Thank you.” Piper put the strap over her head and tied the strings around her waist.
After getting his apron on, Noah looked around. “Where’s Madison?” He turned to Piper. “Madison’s my six-year-old niece.”
“She had a play date with one of her friends from school.” Zoe glanced at the clock. “She should be coming home soon.”
“Do you need to go and pick her up?” Noah asked.
Anticipation rippled through Piper at the thought of being here alone with Noah.
“No, her friend’s mom is going to drop her off.”
Disappointment wafted through Piper. She chuckled inwardly at how she was crushing on Noah. It was wonderful being here with Noah, even with his sister present.
“Jump on in,” Zoe encouraged.
Piper pulled over a cookie shaped like a star, figuring it would be an easy place to start. Noah reached for a Christmas tree cookie and a bowl of dark green icing.
“Is Carl getting back in time to go caroling with us tonight?” Noah asked. “Carl is Zoe’s husband,” he explained. “He had to go to an emergency meeting in Orlando to meet with a client. Carl is a real estate consultant. He teaches and trains agents how to be more effective sellers.”
“No, he’s having to stay an extra couple of days and won’t be coming home until Thursday evening.” Zoe’s features pulled tight, and Piper could feel her sadness.
Noah picked up on it too. “I’m sorry, sis. That’s a bummer.”
Zoe’s lips formed a grim line as she nodded. “Yeah, it is,” she sighed. “That’s how it goes sometimes, right?” Her voice sounded weak, and Piper could tell she was trying to put on a brave face. Zoe gave Noah a grateful smile. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” Noah agreed.
Zoe reached for the bag of icing and resumed decorating the cookie that she’d been working on when Noah and Piper came into the kitchen. Her eyes flickered to Piper. “Tell me about yourself,” she began. “Are you from Park City?”
“No, I’m from Sandy.”
“Where’s that?” Noah asked.
“Just outside of Salt Lake City,” Piper answered.
“About fifty minutes from here,” Zoe added. “Are you spending Christmas in Park City?”
Piper could feel Noah’s keen
interest. “No, I’m going to Sandy to be with my parents and older brother.” Piper’s attention was pulled to Noah’s cookie. He was slathering on green icing in a messy, haphazard fashion, whereas, Zoe’s cookie looked like it had come out of a bakery. Piper’s cookie was somewhere in between. She worked with the butter knife to make the yellow frosting smooth.
“Do you only have the one sibling?” Noah asked.
“Yes.” Piper thought back to her and Noah’s earlier conversation. “You mentioned your one brother.” The player. She couldn’t remember his name. “Is it just the three of you?”
A look of amusement passed between Zoe and Noah.
“What?” Piper asked dubiously.
“There are six of us in all,” Zoe answered.
Piper’s jaw dropped as she looked at Noah and Zoe. “You have four other siblings?”
“Yup.” Noah reached for the container of sprinkles and began liberally shaking them onto his cookie.
Piper rolled the information around in her head a few times. “How many girls and boys?”
“One girl and five boys,” Zoe answered with a grin.
“You’re the only girl. I’ll bet that was tough with all those boys.”
Noah hooted. “Trust me. Zoe can hold her own. She’s meaner and tougher than all the brothers put together.”
Zoe stuck her tongue out at him. The oven dinged as Zoe moved to retrieve a batch of cookies.
“Where do the two of you fall in the line?” Piper could tell that Zoe was older, but she wasn’t sure how much.
“I’m the oldest,” Zoe answered, “and there are two in between me and Noah.” She placed the cookies on the counter before removing the oven mitt and picking up the icing bag.
Piper couldn’t imagine what it must be like to come from such a large family. “Are they coming here for Christmas?”
“No, not this year,” Noah said. From the way he and Zoe looked at one another, Piper could tell there was more to the story than they were telling. Interest simmered inside her. She wanted to know every last detail about Noah Romeo and his family. “They’re spending Christmas in Nashville,” Noah finished.
Done with the cookie she was working on, Zoe drew back to admire her work before pushing it aside and grabbing another. “My husband Carl’s schedule has been so erratic that I wasn’t sure how much time he’d have off for Christmas. We decided to stay here.” The fine lines around her mouth tightened. “Of course, I had no idea Carl would get called away to Orlando.” Her voice was strained, melancholy.
“Well, it’s a good thing I’m here,” Noah said, his voice taking a deliberate upward lilt like he was trying to cheer up his sister.
Zoe’s features lifted. “Yes, and we’re going caroling tonight. Did you practice the songs on your guitar?”
Noah nodded. He threw a wink at Piper that said, Watch this. “Yep, The Twelve Days of Christmas and Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer, right?”
Zoe chuckled. “Right,” she said dryly, rolling her eyes. “Silent Night and The First Noel.”
“I know,” he drawled. “I’ve got it, and I’m ready.” He tossed Piper a playful look. “Piper’s gonna sing a solo for us.”
Piper nearly choked on her own saliva as she coughed. “I don’t think so,” she squeaked as she gave Noah a light shove. He just laughed.
A comfortable silence settled between them before Piper spoke. “Your sculpture in the family room is incredible.”
“Thanks,” Zoe said with an appreciative smile.
“Your use of fluidity and movement is impressive.”
Zoe looked surprised. “Are you an artist?”
“No, a photographer.”
A smile swelled over Zoe’s face. “Really? That’s interesting—”
Noah cut in, “Maybe you can help us out, sis. Piper and I were discussing Nolan Vant and his work. Piper works at The Landin Gallery. They carry Vant’s photographs.”
Zoe nodded impatiently like Noah was telling her something she already knew.
Noah’s lips pulled into a grin as he looked at Piper. “Piper here thinks that Vant has lost his edge. Go ahead, tell Zoe what you told me.”
Piper’s eyes narrowed with the sneaky suspicion of being set up. “I don’t mean to be offensive.” She looked at Zoe. “Is Nolan Vant a friend of yours?” The art world was small.
“Yep. Nolan and I go way back.”
Just as she feared. Heat burned Piper’s face as she turned to Noah. “You should’ve told me that before I made a complete idiot of myself.” Irritation stirred inside her. Noah seemed to get great delight out of needling her. It might seem funny to him, but Piper didn’t want to insult Zoe by dissing on her friend. Piper’s head swung back and forth. “I should’ve kept my big mouth shut.”
Zoe waved the comment away with an airy laugh. “I take zero offense at any opinions you might have. Nolan’s a big boy. He can handle the criticism.”
“If he were here, I’m sure he’d tell you the same thing,” Noah added.
“Yes, I’m sure he would,” Zoe agreed. She looked at Piper, her eyes gleaming. “So, what’s your opinion?”
Piper scrunched her nose as she compiled her thoughts. Absently, she pushed her completed cookie aside and reached for another. This one was a Christmas wreath. “As I told Noah, everyone goes gaga over Vant’s work. It’s fine, if watered-down commercialism’s your thing.”
Amusement swirled in Zoe’s eyes. “Man, she’s tough.”
“I know,” Noah said with a touch of admiration.
Their reactions were encouraging, prompting Piper to continue. “Nolan Vant’s earlier works were incredible. Now, it’s like he’s just replicating the same thing over and over. He’s lost his edge.”
“It happens to all of us,” Zoe said morosely.
“If your other sculptures are any indication of your work then that certainly hasn’t happened to you,” Piper said.
Zoe blinked a few times. “Thanks.” She took in a deep breath. “It’s been so long since I’ve done anything—” she swept an encompassing hand across the cookies “—except for stuff like this, helping kiddos with homework, and making dinner.”
“I applaud you for putting your family first,” Piper said. “I’m sure it’s hard to strike the right balance between family life and your work. You seem to be doing so beautifully.” Confusion tumbled inside Piper when Zoe’s eyes misted. She looked at Noah.
He shook his head, placing a reassuring hand on Piper’s arm that said he would explain later. A few tense beats passed. Noah cleared his throat. “I keep telling Zoe that she should open her own gallery. As tight as she and Vant are, Zoe could persuade him to sign an exclusive with her gallery.”
Piper didn’t want to bring up the point of Deidre snagging Vant into a marriage that would assure her of the exclusive rights to his work in Park City. “If you could swing that you’d be set. Vant’s prints make up eighty percent of our sales. And, his exclusive with The Landin Gallery ends next month.” As soon as the words left Piper’s mouth, she realized that she was divulging too much. She pulled at the neck of her sweater, wishing she were a turtle so she could draw her head into a protective shell. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” It was poor form to speak of confidential terms that pertained to the gallery. Sure, Deidre was a snake, but that didn’t excuse Piper from speaking out of turn.
Zoe waved a hand. “It’s okay. Vant has already told me about his exclusive ending.”
“Oh, good,” Piper uttered, drawing in a relieved breath.
“I have considered opening my own gallery.” Zoe shuddered. “But I don’t want to be a shop keeper.”
“It is a busy job,” Piper said.
“What did you like about Vant’s earlier work?” Noah asked.
Piper thought for a moment. “Approaching Storm is my all-time favorite.” Her voice gathered intensity. “There’s something so raw and vulnerable about the dilapidated shack cowering beneath the imposing storm front.
That juxtaposed against the battered rag doll on the front porch and the hot pink, lace slip hanging on the clothesline and flapping in the wind was brilliant … a nature versus man sort of theme.”
“That’s one of my favorites too,” Zoe said.
“Also, I like The Long Train with the endless line of dull, rusted train cars snaked along the track, broken up by a few brightly colored cars spotted here and there. It reminds me of the monotony of life, broken up by memorable moments.”
Noah’s eyes held hers. “Kind of like our perfect day.”
She soaked in his handsome features, marveling at the intensity of her feelings. “Yes,” she said softly. Time paused as Piper traced the outline of his lips. Her pulse thrashed out a fast beat against her ears. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own as she leaned closer to him, holding her breath.
Zoe cleared her throat, breaking the spell. Piper drew back, embarrassed. She’d lost herself for a moment … in front of Noah’s sister. Sheesh. She was a hopeless romantic!
“Tell us about your photographs,” Zoe prompted.
Piper moistened her lips. “I love street photography.”
Zoe smiled. “Ah, the raw and gritty.”
“Yep, I enjoy finding beauty in the seemingly ordinary.” Piper chuckled. “I shouldn’t be bagging on Nolan Vant. At least he’s made it. I’m still trying to get a foothold into the industry.”
“Sometimes, you have to keep doing the right thing long enough,” Noah said sagely.
“I guess that’s true.” Piper shrugged, offering a rueful grin. “The trick is to keep from going broke in the meantime.”
“Hello,” a young girl sang as she bounded into the kitchen and flung her arms around Zoe’s waist.
“Hey, Madison,” Zoe said affectionately, returning the hug. “How did it go at Courtney’s house?”
“Great,” Madison responded exuberantly as she pulled away from her mom, eyeing the cookies. “Can I have one?”
“Yep, sure can. But just one. We want to make sure we have enough to give away tonight.”
Madison reached for a cookie and took a large bite. She was a cutie with her long hair pulled up in high pigtails and flanked with red ribbons. Her large dark eyes were the same color as Zoe’s. She had fair skin like Milo with freckles sprinkled across her nose. Zoe and Noah were olive-toned, making Piper suspect that Zoe’s husband Carl had a fair complexion.
One Perfect Day Page 5
